101 Global Food Organizations to Watch in 2015
December 28, 2014
by Danielle Nierenberg and Sarah Small
To celebrate 2015, Food Tank is highlighting 101 incredible organizations who are playing a vital part in creating a better food system.
by Danielle Nierenberg and Sarah Small
To celebrate 2015, Food Tank is highlighting 101 incredible organizations who are playing a vital part in creating a better food system.
Food Tank has the honor of highlighting organizations across the
globe that are working to fight food waste, combat the dual paradoxes of
hunger and obesity, recognize the multiple roles of family farmers,
increase nutrient density, protect agricultural diversity, and adapt to a
changing climate. We hope to amplify their work by showing eaters,
farmers, policy makers, scientists, youth, and the funding and donor
communities what is possible--and what is needed--to create a food
system is safe, just, and economically, socially, and environmentally
sustainable.
To celebrate 2015, we are highlighting 101 incredible organizations who are playing a vital part in creating a better food system. Food Tank is excited to highlight their stories of success, hope, and innovation in the coming year.
1% for Women - 1% for Women is a sustainable way for all business owners to get involved in creating global change. Through partnerships with organizations, women farmers, and ranchers, women work to heal communities and the land, ensure their children receive a good education and are well-nourished, and create a more sustainable future for the planet.
ActionAid - ActionAid is a global movement of people to defend human rights and fight poverty in more than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ActionAid’s work provides disaster relief, empowers women, fights hunger, and increases access to education.
Action Against Hunger - Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending hunger and building a more sustainable future. In dozens of countries across the world, Action Against Hunger works to save the lives of malnourished children, and provide access to safe water.
Africa Center for Holistic Management - The Africa Center for Holistic Management, located in Zimbabwe, serves the southern region of Africa. At the Center’s demonstration ranch, they provide education on holistic management methods of livestock raising, helping restore degraded watersheds and croplands.
African Biodiversity Network - Founded in 1996 in Kenya, the African Biodiversity Network is a regional network of individuals and organizations in 12 African countries: Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. ABN focuses on indigenous knowledge, protecting biodiversity, and improving agricultural policies and legislation.
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa - The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa is a network comprised of farming organizations, including Friends of the Earth-Africa, La Via Campesina Africa, Eastern and Southern African Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF), and others. AFSA promotes food sovereignty by advocating for a change in policies and encouraging local farm production.
Ashoka - Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries. Since 1980, Ashoka has helped entrepreneurs put their ideas into practice on a global scale by providing start-up financing, professional support, and connections to global networks.
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - ACIAR operates as part of the Australian Aid Program and encourages Australian agricultural scientists to use their skills to benefit both Australia and developing countries. Research areas include: animal health, livestock production systems, fisheries, and cropping systems.
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance - The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance is a collaboration of organizations and individuals working together to create and manage a food system where eaters and consumers have more transparency. The Alliance aims to create an equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system.
AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center - AVRDC is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing poverty and malnutrition in the developing world by increasing agricultural production and access to a variety of vegetables. These practices provide essential micronutrients for populations in need.
Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition - The BCFN Foundation conducts multidisciplinary research on food and nutrition. They advocate for food and nutrition to be placed on the public agenda. BCFN focuses on food access, health, culture, and sustainability. The Foundation has spearheaded the Milan Protocol, an international agreement which aims to address the problem of sustainability in the food chain.
Bioneers - Bioneers is a nonprofit organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and the planet. Since 1990, Bioneers has served as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators, with nature-inspired approaches to the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.
Bioversity International - Bioversity International is a global research organization whose primary focus is agricultural biodiversity, believing it to be essential to nourishing people and sustaining the planet. The organization operates in low-income countries where there are high levels of poverty, crop or tree biodiversity, and hidden hunger.
Center for Food Safety - CFS is an environmental advocacy organization working to protect human health and the environment by reducing the amount of harmful food production technologies. CFS educates consumers on organic and sustainable food agriculture.
Center for a Livable Future-Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Center for a Livable Future is a research program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health dedicated to improving human health and meeting the basic needs of food, water, and shelter for all. The program conducts research and provides information about diet, food production, and human health to promote policies that will protect both human health and the global environment.
The Center for International Forestry Research - CIFOR addresses the problem of deforestation through environmental conservation, advancing human well-being, and promoting equity through research that aids businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to make educated choices about the use and management of their forests.
Centro de Desarrollo Agropecuario - CEDESA is a nonprofit development center in the northern part of Guanajuato, Mexico, that has acted as a regional anti-poverty movement for small farmers, concentrating on a diverse array of interconnected issues, such as land reform struggles, women’s rights, and food sovereignty.
Change Food - Change Food helps individuals change the way they eat by educating consumers about problems with the United States food system and the global food system. Change Food is the lead sponsor for TEDxManhattan Changing the Way We Eat.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs - The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, founded in 1922, is committed to the education of major global issues, including sustainable agriculture and food security. The Chicago Council provides a forum in which world leaders and policymakers can come together to alter public discourse for a more sustainable future.
Christensen Fund - The Christensen Fund partners with indigenous communities, scholars, artists, and activists, to support projects that promote the bio-cultural intersection between biodiversity and traditional cultures. In the American Southwest, the Fund awards grants to increase the availability, abundance, and diversity of nutritious, culturally-appropriate foods, seeds, fibers, livestock, and medicines; to strengthen indigenous philanthropy; and to promote native leadership.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers - CIW is a worker-focused human rights organization that campaigns for fair food and the rights of agriculture workers. CIW has established major agreements on labor standards and wages with McDonald’s, Subway, Sodexo, and Whole Foods.
The Community for Zero Hunger - The Community for Zero Hunger is an independent initiative that identifies specific priorities, knowledge, experiences, and sustainable solutions, and also provides a platform for collaboration to support the U.N. Zero Hunger Challenge. The goals of the Hunger Challenge include: 100 percent access to adequate food all year round, zero stunted children less than two years of age, sustainable food systems, a doubling in smallholder productivity and income, and zero food waste.
Community Markets for Conservation - COMACO brings knowledge, skills, and market incentives to improve the land-use and livelihoods of small-scale. COMACO transforms communities into responsible stewards of the land by protecting wildlife and growing organic crops.
Conservation International - CI works to ensure a healthy, productive planet for everyone. Through science, partnerships, and fieldwork, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for the planet, human well-being, and global biodiversity.
The Culinary Institute of America - The CIA is a private, nonprofit college dedicated to providing culinary education to the next generation of chefs. CIA students learn general knowledge and specific skills to be successful and grow into positions of influence and leadership in their profession.
Developing Innovations in School Cultivation - Project DISC was founded in 2006 by Edie Mukiibi as a grassroots initiative to educate communities on sustainable food production and change the global food system. The Project trains volunteers in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania on different farming techniques including; permaculture principles, farmer ownership models (FOM), child-to-parent models (C2P), and farmer-to-market (F2M) models.
Diversitas - Diversitas is an international research organization focused on and promoting biodiversity science. The organization addresses the loss of biodiversity, and contributes to human well-being and poverty eradication.
Earth Policy Institute - EPI was founded in 2001 by Lester Brown to provide a plan for a sustainable future which includes a global plan for an environmentally and economically sustainable future; examples of how this plan will work; and engagement with stakeholders, including media, policymakers, and academics, on the process of building this global plan.
ECHO - ECHO empowers small-scale farmers to increase the yield and nutritional diversity of their crops. They operate a seed bank, to provide regionally appropriate crops for development workers, and training courses and workshops on many topics, such as tropical agriculture.
Ecoagriculture Partners - Ecoagriculture Partners supports agricultural communities in managing their landscapes by using ecoagriculture practices to enhance rural livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, and produce food and fiber, in environmentally sustainable ways.
Equity Trust - The Equity Trust is dedicated to re-conceptualizing the way society thinks about property ownership, and supporting alternative ownership structures. Through their Farms for Farmers program, Equity Trust prevents farms from being sold to non-farmers for high prices by helping local land trusts and organizations preserve the affordability of farms.
Fairfood International - Fairfood International, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, advocates for a fair and sustainable global food system. They strive to improve the socio-economic condition of typically vulnerable people in the food system: smallholder farmers, women workers, and consumers. They use research to promote policy, directly engage with food companies to address issues, and raise awareness to increase public demand for change.
Family Farm Defenders - Family Farm Defenders aims to build a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented agricultural system that values democratic decision-making and food sovereignty. The organization works on campaigns around biofuels, climate justice, factory farms, fair trade, food safety, genetically modified organisms, farm workers rights, animal welfare, and social and economic justice.
Farm Hack - Farm Hack is an open-source community that aims to develop, document, and build appropriate, affordable, and adaptable technology for agriculture. The collaborative, community-driven design organization was founded in 2010. It consists of an online platform to share designs, ideas, and new sustainable agriculture research. The community also hosts offline face-to-face meet-ups.
Feeding the 5000 - Feeding the 5000 encourages farmers to participate in the gleaning movement – where volunteers collect unattractive produce that would otherwise be wasted for consumption. At their events, they serve meals to 5,000 participants, using food that would have otherwise been wasted, while putting the issue of food waste on the political agenda and inspiring local initiatives against food waste.
Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network - FANRPAN's goal is to free Africa of hunger and poverty. FANRPAN objectives are to promote the development of appropriate agricultural policies in order to reduce poverty, enhance food security in Africa, and promote sustainable agricultural development in Africa.
Food and Environment Reporting Network -The Food & Environment Reporting Network is a non-profit news organization producing investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
Food Policy Action - Food Policy Action was founded in 2012 through a collaboration of national food policy leaders, including Chef Tom Colicchio, Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group, and Gary Hirshberg, the Chairman of Stoneyfield Farm, to hold legislators accountable on legislation effects food and farming.
Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO - Brokered in the mid-1960s to cooperate for common gain, FLOC operates on two key principles: farmworkers need a unionized voice, and all parties need to be part of the conversation. FLOC works to improve labor and housing conditions and to increase wages through collective bargaining agreements.
Fazenda da Toca - Founded in 2009 by supermarket chain heir and former Formula 1 race car driver Pedro Paulo Diniz, Fazenda da Toca is a large-scale family-owned organic farm in Brazil’s São Paulo state that is changing the future of ecological agriculture by harmonizing production and preservation.
Food First - Food First is a research and advocacy organization that seeks to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger worldwide, working with social movements to amplify their voices and boost their efforts toward food justice and sovereignty. Food First supports an agricultural approach that moves away from transnational agri-food industry to one focused primarily on farmers and communities.
Finca Mono Verde - Finca Mono Verde, founded in 2010, is a tropical learning and experimentation farm located in Ecuador, aiming to increase the overall use of sustainable agriculture practices. The farm focuses on permaculture design, natural building techniques, and waste management.
Food Day - Food Day promotes healthy, affordable, and sustainable food through a grassroots advocacy campaign. The goal is to improve national food policies through a single-day celebration in October and through year-long educational efforts. Food Day focuses on changing consumer food choices to protect public health, decrease hunger rates, protect agricultural workers, and support the humane treatment of farm animals.
FoodSave London - FoodSave helps food organizations and restaurants by conducting free audits of their operations and giving feedback to help reduce food waste. On average, FoodSave helps businesses save £6600 per year and aims to reduce 1,000 tons of food waste from landfill.
Food Chain Workers Alliance - FCWA is a coalition of worker-based organizations whose members are involved in the food chain: planting, harvesting, packing, transporting, preparing, serving, and selling. They aim to improve working conditions and increase wages for all food chain workers. The alliance is developing skill-share trainings, worker exchanges, and a resource library to help nurture leadership development and solidarity among workers.
Food Sovereignty Ghana - Formed in 2013, Food Sovereignty Ghana was a direct response to increasing privatization, deforestation, climate change, and the belief that access to food and water was a fundamental human right. Food Sovereignty Ghana aims to promote people’s right to healthy and culturally appropriate food, increase the prevalence of small farms and state funding of those farms, and preserve public access to natural resources.
Food + Tech Connect - Food + Tech Connect is an online source for information about the interaction between technology and the food system. Based in New York, the organization provides a platform for conversations between food and agricultural tech startups, investors, and initiatives.
Food-X - Founded in 2014, Food-X is the first international business accelerator program, focused on launching food-related ventures with a multi-stage evergreen fund, SOSventures. Food-X partners with early-stage food entrepreneurs to take them, their products, and services successfully to market in the areas of food and beverage, health, and environment.
Food & Water Watch - FWW works to ensure the food, water, and fish consumers eat is safe, accessible, and sustainable. Their website provides information to eaters, advocates, and activists to make change in the food system.
Forum for the Future - Forum for the Future is an independent non-profit organization working globally with businesses, governments, and other organizations to solve complex sustainability challenges.
Global Forum on Agricultural Research - GFAR’s mission is to mobilize all stakeholders involved in agricultural research and innovation systems for development, and catalyze actions toward alleviating poverty, increasing food security, and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
Global Crop Diversity Trust - Global Crop Diversity Trust is an independent international organization working to guarantee the conservation of crop diversity around the world.
GRACE Communications Foundation - GRACE Communications Foundation develops strategies to increase public awareness of environmental and public health issues caused by the planet’s food, water, and energy systems. Through partnerships, GRACE promotes policies that support a more sustainable future.
Genetic Resources Action International - GRAIN conducts independent research and analysis while collaborating with small farmers and social movements to support biodiverse community-controlled food systems. The majority of their work is centered in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where GRAIN highlights agricultural struggles, particularly focused on land grabs, food sovereignty, and biodiversity loss.
Greenpeace International - Present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that works to change behavior, promote peace, and protect and conserve the environment. Greenpeace has campaigns promoting sustainable agriculture, protecting biodiversity, and encouraging socially responsible farming.
Groundswell International - Groundswell International is a global partnership, created in 2009, to contribute to the sustainable food movement and offer bottom-up solutions. They work in rural communities, spreading agroecological farming practices, farmer innovation, farmer-to-farmer extension, and community health, as well as helping to build connections to urban communities.
Heifer International - Heifer International has worked for over 70 years to give people the tools they need to sustain themselves and increase their livelihoods. Heifer supplies communities with livestock and education that lift those communities out of poverty.
Humanitas Global - Humanitas Global is a partnership of global citizens committed to driving health, economic, and social progress in underserved communities. They specialize in designing development initiatives that include all facets of a community and all its members, gaining support from citizens and governments alike.
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - IATP is a research and advocacy organization promoting alternative economic systems that value environmental sustainability, human rights and health, democratic institutions, and family farmers. IATP is critical of the impact trade agreements have on farmers, consumers, and the environment, and works to strengthen local economies through addressing a range of issues.
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics - The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, they help people overcome poverty, hunger, and degraded environments, through improved agricultural practices.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements - Founded in 1972, IFOAM is the only international umbrella organization for the organic movement. IFOAM unites a diversity of stakeholders, with around 800 affiliates in more than 100 countries, to encourage the mainstream uptake of organic agriculture.
The International Food Policy Research Institute - IFPRI, established in 1975, provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. The Institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD finances agricultural development projects, primarily for food production in the developing countries.
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture - IITA seeks to increase agricultural production in a sustainable way to help improve the nutritional status and well-being of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
International Soil Reference and Information Center - The International Soil Reference Information Center is a science-based foundation mandated to serve the international community with information about the world’s soils. The Center shares its data supply with full, open access, and conducts applied research projects concerning climate change mitigation, land degradation, food security and efficient water use, while also focusing on education and training.
International Water Management Institute - The International Water Management Institute is a scientific research institute working in developing countries to promote sustainable water use and land resource management. Using research, they come up with evidence-based solutions that will lead to greater food security, increased livelihoods, and healthier environments. They are based in Sri Lanka, and work across Asia and Africa.
Kitchen Gardeners International - Kitchen Gardeners International is a nonprofit community of more than 30,000 individuals growing their own food and helping others to do the same. Their aim is for people to achieve greater food self-reliance by teaching about kitchen gardening, home-cooking, and sustainable local food systems.
The James Beard Foundation - JBF is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. The Foundation’s mission is to preserve, nurture, and celebrate the diverse culinary heritage and future in the United States. The Foundation offers a variety of events and programs intended to educate, inspire, and entertain, in addition to promoting a fuller understanding of culinary culture.
La Via Campesina - La Via Campesina is an international peasants’ movement that currently represents 200 million farmers from 164 local and national organizations in 73 countries. As a grassroots organization headquartered in New York City, La Via Campesina strives to unite peasants, the landless, female farmers, and rural youth to defend small-scale sustainable agriculture on a global scale.
Landesa Rural Development Institute - LRDI is an organization that works to help secure land for the world’s poorest people. The organization partners with local governments in developing countries to help create laws, policies, and programs to foster social justice, economic growth, and opportunities for the communities. They often focus on creating and enforcing land rights for women.
The Land Institute - The Land Institute believes in growing food in partnership with nature. The Institute works to advance perennial grain crops that protect and build soil, and conducts research on food production methods that sustain the land.
Millennium Institute - Millennium Institute is an independent nonprofit with the goal of promoting systems literacy and dynamic modeling tools in order to achieve sustainable development globally. MI works to achieve awareness through public education and strategic partnerships centered on interdependence and sustainability.
More and Better - Founded in 2003, More and Better is a network that facilitates collaboration among organizations working to end hunger and poverty in developing nations. More and Better is composed of NGOs, CSOs, national campaigns, and social movements, all working to eliminate hunger and poverty by lobbying for policies that support agriculture, food, and rural improvement in developing countries.
Network of Peasant Organizations and Producers in West Africa - Founded in 2000, ROPPA is a network representing millions of small farmers, fishermen, and producers in 13 West African countries. ROPPA's main priorities include capacity building, technical and economic assistance, advocacy, and lobbying for policies that favor family farmers, and the development of high-quality technical teams.
Oakland Institute - Oakland Institute is a leading nonprofit think tank covering various issues, including the environment, the food system, and smallholder crop production. They aim to increase awareness and debate on these issues, and produce research and policy recommendations to create real change.
The One Acre Fund - OAF is a micro-investment organization based in Africa, and is devoted to helping smallholder farmers become self-reliant by providing them with the resources they need to be successful. The One Acre Fund envisions a future where every farm family has the knowledge, materials, and support necessary to satisfy their basic needs.
Organic Research Center - Established in 1980, the Organic Research Center works primarily in the United Kingdom to help build and support sustainable land-use and food systems. The Center conducts research on sustainable agriculture methods and communicates that research through trainings, classes, policy papers and more.
Oxfam International and Oxfam America - Oxfam International’s GROW campaign aims to fight the injustice of the food system in which people go hungry, not because there is not enough food, but because the system is poorly and unfairly organized. They are working to stop climate change and land grabs, and to support smallholder farmers and challenge the private sector.
Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, they work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam develops long-term solutions to poverty and campaigns for social change.
The Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa - The Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa is an organization that produces research and consultancy reports, aiming to promote policy that favors pastoralism in the region. They are working to ensure pastoralists’ rights, and to equip them with the latest skills and ideas. They also work to empower women and change attitudes of women’s participation in the economy and public life.
Permaculture Voices - As one of the world's largest professional permaculture conferences, Permaculture Voices blends the practical techniques and tactics found in workshops with the entrepreneurial spirit and opportunity of a business conference. The conference has convened diverse groups of people in a variety of fields to share experiences, knowledge, connect, and create new ways of making a living through permaculture.
Pesticide Action Network - PAN International is a network of more than 600 NGOs, institutions, and individuals across more than 90 countries. Founded in 1982, the network aims to not only replace hazardous pesticides with ecological and socially just alternatives, but resist development and introduction of genetic engineering and empower grassroots campaigns against agrochemical and seed corporations.
Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security - RUAF Foundation is a global network of organizations that specialize in urban agriculture. They seek to contribute to the development of sustainable cities by raising awareness of, generating knowledge about, and facilitating the development of resilient and equitable urban food systems.
The Rodale Institute - The Rodale Institute, through research and networking, strives to create and share the best practices in organic farming. For the past 60 years, Rodale has managed a farm in rural Kutztown, PA where they conduct scientific studies and educate community members about the value of organic food.
The Savory Institute - The Savory Institute, named after founder Allan Savory, is a nonprofit working internationally to restore depleted grasslands. They use a technique called Holistic Management, a method of properly managed livestock that is proven to restore grasslands to their natural state. They have hubs in Africa, North and South America, and Turkey.
Slow Food International and Slow Food USA - Slow Food International was founded to counter fast food and fast life. This 100,000 member-strong association takes on biodiversity projects and food education, and connects young people through the Slow Food Youth Network. Slow Food works on three interconnected principles: good diet that is part of local culture; clean food production; and fair consumer prices.
Slow Food USA is part of the global Slow Food network of over 150,000 members in more than 150 countries. Their Slow Meat movement draws attention to animal confinement. Slow Meat has become an annual event that brings together ranchers, farmers, butchers, chefs, and eaters to share ideas on how we can produce meat that is good, clean, and fair for all.
Small Planet Institute- The Small Planet Institute supports grassroots democratic movements worldwide that address the causes of hunger and poverty. The Institute also manages the Small Planet Fund.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture - Stone Barns Center is a nonprofit organization that aims to create a food system that is healthy and sustainable. They operate an 80-acre farm, offer classes in cooking for children and adults, operate a seasonal farm market, and run two food venues—the Blue Hill Café and the Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Sustainable Food Trust -The Sustainable Food Trust is committed to facing challenges and exploring solutions for a food production system that causes the least possible harm to both humans and the environment. The Trust works to develop solutions to food system problems in the areas of leadership and collaboration, communications and citizen engagement, and research and policy.
Sustainable Harvest International - Sustainable Harvest International works with families in Central America to accomplish two goals simultaneously: overcoming poverty and preserving tropical rainforests. By providing long-term assistance and teaching families sustainable farming methods, they not only help lift communities out of poverty, but decrease deforestation at the same time. They currently have programs in Honduras, Belize, Panama, and Nicaragua.
Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods - operating in Haiti since 2006, SOIL aims to create economic opportunities and improve depleted agricultural land by providing composting toilets. These toilets provide not only ecological sanitation, but abundant compost, which is returned to Haiti’s depleted soils, boosting agricultural production.
Think.Eat.Save - Think.Eat.Save is a collaborative initiative of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other international organizations, working to reverse food loss and food waste by providing consumers, retailers, leaders, and the community with advice and ways to limit wasteful practices.
Think Food Group - Started by Chef Jose Andres, the Think Food Group, is committed to helping future generations of activists and innovators change the world through food. The Group includes the World Central Kitchen, which is currently using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies.
Union of Concerned Scientists - The Union of Concerned Scientists works to ensure that all people have clean air and energy, as well as safe and sufficient food. UCS combines technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO’s mandate is to improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity, raise the standard of living in rural populations, and contribute to global economic growth. FAO accomplishes these objectives by creating and sharing critical information about agriculture, food, and natural resources
U.N. World Food Program - WFP is an international anti-hunger organization within the U.N. that collects and distributes food assistance to populations in need. As the world’s largest organization working to combat hunger, WFP distributes food to over 90 million people annually, mainly delivering assistance to children, refugees, people in emergency situations and the rural poor.
WhyHunger - WhyHunger is a leader in the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food, and supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.
The Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network - WFEN is a global community dedicated to the development and marketing of products that conserve threatened wildlife while contributing to the economic vitality of rural communities. WFEN's mission is to protect wildlife in wild places by certifying enterprises that assure people and nature coexist and thrive.
Winrock International - Winrock International is a nonprofit that works worldwide to increase economics opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities. They are experts in agriculture, forestry, natural resource management, and clean water, and teach new ideas and technologies in these areas to the people they work with, improving their livelihoods and giving them a sustainable future.
World Agroforestry Centre - ICRAF is an international institute headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, that specializes in generating and using science-based knowledge about the diverse roles of trees in agricultural landscapes to advance the practice of agroforestry for the benefit of the poor and the environment.
World Wildlife Fund - WWF is a conservation organization, working in 100 countries and supported by 1.1 million members in the U.S. and almost five million globally. WWF is based on a foundation of science, and provides actionable steps for members on local to global scales. They support innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and the planet, from refining production and distribution, to combating waste and environmental impacts of food production.
Young Professionals for Agricultural Development - YPARD is an international movement by young professionals for young professionals for agricultural development. YPARD's mission is to serve as a global collective platform through which young professionals can realize their full potential and contribute proactively toward innovative agricultural development.
101 Organizations to Watch in 2014
101 Additional Reader Suggestions in 2014
Source: http://foodtank.com/news/2014/12/one-hundred-one-global-food-organizations-to-watch-in-twenty-fifteen
To celebrate 2015, we are highlighting 101 incredible organizations who are playing a vital part in creating a better food system. Food Tank is excited to highlight their stories of success, hope, and innovation in the coming year.
1% for Women - 1% for Women is a sustainable way for all business owners to get involved in creating global change. Through partnerships with organizations, women farmers, and ranchers, women work to heal communities and the land, ensure their children receive a good education and are well-nourished, and create a more sustainable future for the planet.
ActionAid - ActionAid is a global movement of people to defend human rights and fight poverty in more than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ActionAid’s work provides disaster relief, empowers women, fights hunger, and increases access to education.
Action Against Hunger - Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending hunger and building a more sustainable future. In dozens of countries across the world, Action Against Hunger works to save the lives of malnourished children, and provide access to safe water.
Africa Center for Holistic Management - The Africa Center for Holistic Management, located in Zimbabwe, serves the southern region of Africa. At the Center’s demonstration ranch, they provide education on holistic management methods of livestock raising, helping restore degraded watersheds and croplands.
African Biodiversity Network - Founded in 1996 in Kenya, the African Biodiversity Network is a regional network of individuals and organizations in 12 African countries: Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. ABN focuses on indigenous knowledge, protecting biodiversity, and improving agricultural policies and legislation.
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa - The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa is a network comprised of farming organizations, including Friends of the Earth-Africa, La Via Campesina Africa, Eastern and Southern African Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF), and others. AFSA promotes food sovereignty by advocating for a change in policies and encouraging local farm production.
Ashoka - Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries. Since 1980, Ashoka has helped entrepreneurs put their ideas into practice on a global scale by providing start-up financing, professional support, and connections to global networks.
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research - ACIAR operates as part of the Australian Aid Program and encourages Australian agricultural scientists to use their skills to benefit both Australia and developing countries. Research areas include: animal health, livestock production systems, fisheries, and cropping systems.
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance - The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance is a collaboration of organizations and individuals working together to create and manage a food system where eaters and consumers have more transparency. The Alliance aims to create an equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system.
AVRDC—The World Vegetable Center - AVRDC is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing poverty and malnutrition in the developing world by increasing agricultural production and access to a variety of vegetables. These practices provide essential micronutrients for populations in need.
Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition - The BCFN Foundation conducts multidisciplinary research on food and nutrition. They advocate for food and nutrition to be placed on the public agenda. BCFN focuses on food access, health, culture, and sustainability. The Foundation has spearheaded the Milan Protocol, an international agreement which aims to address the problem of sustainability in the food chain.
Bioneers - Bioneers is a nonprofit organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and the planet. Since 1990, Bioneers has served as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators, with nature-inspired approaches to the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.
Bioversity International - Bioversity International is a global research organization whose primary focus is agricultural biodiversity, believing it to be essential to nourishing people and sustaining the planet. The organization operates in low-income countries where there are high levels of poverty, crop or tree biodiversity, and hidden hunger.
Center for Food Safety - CFS is an environmental advocacy organization working to protect human health and the environment by reducing the amount of harmful food production technologies. CFS educates consumers on organic and sustainable food agriculture.
Center for a Livable Future-Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Center for a Livable Future is a research program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health dedicated to improving human health and meeting the basic needs of food, water, and shelter for all. The program conducts research and provides information about diet, food production, and human health to promote policies that will protect both human health and the global environment.
The Center for International Forestry Research - CIFOR addresses the problem of deforestation through environmental conservation, advancing human well-being, and promoting equity through research that aids businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to make educated choices about the use and management of their forests.
Centro de Desarrollo Agropecuario - CEDESA is a nonprofit development center in the northern part of Guanajuato, Mexico, that has acted as a regional anti-poverty movement for small farmers, concentrating on a diverse array of interconnected issues, such as land reform struggles, women’s rights, and food sovereignty.
Change Food - Change Food helps individuals change the way they eat by educating consumers about problems with the United States food system and the global food system. Change Food is the lead sponsor for TEDxManhattan Changing the Way We Eat.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs - The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, founded in 1922, is committed to the education of major global issues, including sustainable agriculture and food security. The Chicago Council provides a forum in which world leaders and policymakers can come together to alter public discourse for a more sustainable future.
Christensen Fund - The Christensen Fund partners with indigenous communities, scholars, artists, and activists, to support projects that promote the bio-cultural intersection between biodiversity and traditional cultures. In the American Southwest, the Fund awards grants to increase the availability, abundance, and diversity of nutritious, culturally-appropriate foods, seeds, fibers, livestock, and medicines; to strengthen indigenous philanthropy; and to promote native leadership.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers - CIW is a worker-focused human rights organization that campaigns for fair food and the rights of agriculture workers. CIW has established major agreements on labor standards and wages with McDonald’s, Subway, Sodexo, and Whole Foods.
The Community for Zero Hunger - The Community for Zero Hunger is an independent initiative that identifies specific priorities, knowledge, experiences, and sustainable solutions, and also provides a platform for collaboration to support the U.N. Zero Hunger Challenge. The goals of the Hunger Challenge include: 100 percent access to adequate food all year round, zero stunted children less than two years of age, sustainable food systems, a doubling in smallholder productivity and income, and zero food waste.
Community Markets for Conservation - COMACO brings knowledge, skills, and market incentives to improve the land-use and livelihoods of small-scale. COMACO transforms communities into responsible stewards of the land by protecting wildlife and growing organic crops.
Conservation International - CI works to ensure a healthy, productive planet for everyone. Through science, partnerships, and fieldwork, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for the planet, human well-being, and global biodiversity.
The Culinary Institute of America - The CIA is a private, nonprofit college dedicated to providing culinary education to the next generation of chefs. CIA students learn general knowledge and specific skills to be successful and grow into positions of influence and leadership in their profession.
Developing Innovations in School Cultivation - Project DISC was founded in 2006 by Edie Mukiibi as a grassroots initiative to educate communities on sustainable food production and change the global food system. The Project trains volunteers in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania on different farming techniques including; permaculture principles, farmer ownership models (FOM), child-to-parent models (C2P), and farmer-to-market (F2M) models.
Diversitas - Diversitas is an international research organization focused on and promoting biodiversity science. The organization addresses the loss of biodiversity, and contributes to human well-being and poverty eradication.
Earth Policy Institute - EPI was founded in 2001 by Lester Brown to provide a plan for a sustainable future which includes a global plan for an environmentally and economically sustainable future; examples of how this plan will work; and engagement with stakeholders, including media, policymakers, and academics, on the process of building this global plan.
ECHO - ECHO empowers small-scale farmers to increase the yield and nutritional diversity of their crops. They operate a seed bank, to provide regionally appropriate crops for development workers, and training courses and workshops on many topics, such as tropical agriculture.
Ecoagriculture Partners - Ecoagriculture Partners supports agricultural communities in managing their landscapes by using ecoagriculture practices to enhance rural livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, and produce food and fiber, in environmentally sustainable ways.
Equity Trust - The Equity Trust is dedicated to re-conceptualizing the way society thinks about property ownership, and supporting alternative ownership structures. Through their Farms for Farmers program, Equity Trust prevents farms from being sold to non-farmers for high prices by helping local land trusts and organizations preserve the affordability of farms.
Fairfood International - Fairfood International, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, advocates for a fair and sustainable global food system. They strive to improve the socio-economic condition of typically vulnerable people in the food system: smallholder farmers, women workers, and consumers. They use research to promote policy, directly engage with food companies to address issues, and raise awareness to increase public demand for change.
Family Farm Defenders - Family Farm Defenders aims to build a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented agricultural system that values democratic decision-making and food sovereignty. The organization works on campaigns around biofuels, climate justice, factory farms, fair trade, food safety, genetically modified organisms, farm workers rights, animal welfare, and social and economic justice.
Farm Hack - Farm Hack is an open-source community that aims to develop, document, and build appropriate, affordable, and adaptable technology for agriculture. The collaborative, community-driven design organization was founded in 2010. It consists of an online platform to share designs, ideas, and new sustainable agriculture research. The community also hosts offline face-to-face meet-ups.
Feeding the 5000 - Feeding the 5000 encourages farmers to participate in the gleaning movement – where volunteers collect unattractive produce that would otherwise be wasted for consumption. At their events, they serve meals to 5,000 participants, using food that would have otherwise been wasted, while putting the issue of food waste on the political agenda and inspiring local initiatives against food waste.
Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network - FANRPAN's goal is to free Africa of hunger and poverty. FANRPAN objectives are to promote the development of appropriate agricultural policies in order to reduce poverty, enhance food security in Africa, and promote sustainable agricultural development in Africa.
Food and Environment Reporting Network -The Food & Environment Reporting Network is a non-profit news organization producing investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
Food Policy Action - Food Policy Action was founded in 2012 through a collaboration of national food policy leaders, including Chef Tom Colicchio, Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group, and Gary Hirshberg, the Chairman of Stoneyfield Farm, to hold legislators accountable on legislation effects food and farming.
Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO - Brokered in the mid-1960s to cooperate for common gain, FLOC operates on two key principles: farmworkers need a unionized voice, and all parties need to be part of the conversation. FLOC works to improve labor and housing conditions and to increase wages through collective bargaining agreements.
Fazenda da Toca - Founded in 2009 by supermarket chain heir and former Formula 1 race car driver Pedro Paulo Diniz, Fazenda da Toca is a large-scale family-owned organic farm in Brazil’s São Paulo state that is changing the future of ecological agriculture by harmonizing production and preservation.
Food First - Food First is a research and advocacy organization that seeks to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger worldwide, working with social movements to amplify their voices and boost their efforts toward food justice and sovereignty. Food First supports an agricultural approach that moves away from transnational agri-food industry to one focused primarily on farmers and communities.
Finca Mono Verde - Finca Mono Verde, founded in 2010, is a tropical learning and experimentation farm located in Ecuador, aiming to increase the overall use of sustainable agriculture practices. The farm focuses on permaculture design, natural building techniques, and waste management.
Food Day - Food Day promotes healthy, affordable, and sustainable food through a grassroots advocacy campaign. The goal is to improve national food policies through a single-day celebration in October and through year-long educational efforts. Food Day focuses on changing consumer food choices to protect public health, decrease hunger rates, protect agricultural workers, and support the humane treatment of farm animals.
FoodSave London - FoodSave helps food organizations and restaurants by conducting free audits of their operations and giving feedback to help reduce food waste. On average, FoodSave helps businesses save £6600 per year and aims to reduce 1,000 tons of food waste from landfill.
Food Chain Workers Alliance - FCWA is a coalition of worker-based organizations whose members are involved in the food chain: planting, harvesting, packing, transporting, preparing, serving, and selling. They aim to improve working conditions and increase wages for all food chain workers. The alliance is developing skill-share trainings, worker exchanges, and a resource library to help nurture leadership development and solidarity among workers.
Food Sovereignty Ghana - Formed in 2013, Food Sovereignty Ghana was a direct response to increasing privatization, deforestation, climate change, and the belief that access to food and water was a fundamental human right. Food Sovereignty Ghana aims to promote people’s right to healthy and culturally appropriate food, increase the prevalence of small farms and state funding of those farms, and preserve public access to natural resources.
Food + Tech Connect - Food + Tech Connect is an online source for information about the interaction between technology and the food system. Based in New York, the organization provides a platform for conversations between food and agricultural tech startups, investors, and initiatives.
Food-X - Founded in 2014, Food-X is the first international business accelerator program, focused on launching food-related ventures with a multi-stage evergreen fund, SOSventures. Food-X partners with early-stage food entrepreneurs to take them, their products, and services successfully to market in the areas of food and beverage, health, and environment.
Food & Water Watch - FWW works to ensure the food, water, and fish consumers eat is safe, accessible, and sustainable. Their website provides information to eaters, advocates, and activists to make change in the food system.
Forum for the Future - Forum for the Future is an independent non-profit organization working globally with businesses, governments, and other organizations to solve complex sustainability challenges.
Global Forum on Agricultural Research - GFAR’s mission is to mobilize all stakeholders involved in agricultural research and innovation systems for development, and catalyze actions toward alleviating poverty, increasing food security, and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
Global Crop Diversity Trust - Global Crop Diversity Trust is an independent international organization working to guarantee the conservation of crop diversity around the world.
GRACE Communications Foundation - GRACE Communications Foundation develops strategies to increase public awareness of environmental and public health issues caused by the planet’s food, water, and energy systems. Through partnerships, GRACE promotes policies that support a more sustainable future.
Genetic Resources Action International - GRAIN conducts independent research and analysis while collaborating with small farmers and social movements to support biodiverse community-controlled food systems. The majority of their work is centered in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where GRAIN highlights agricultural struggles, particularly focused on land grabs, food sovereignty, and biodiversity loss.
Greenpeace International - Present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that works to change behavior, promote peace, and protect and conserve the environment. Greenpeace has campaigns promoting sustainable agriculture, protecting biodiversity, and encouraging socially responsible farming.
Groundswell International - Groundswell International is a global partnership, created in 2009, to contribute to the sustainable food movement and offer bottom-up solutions. They work in rural communities, spreading agroecological farming practices, farmer innovation, farmer-to-farmer extension, and community health, as well as helping to build connections to urban communities.
Heifer International - Heifer International has worked for over 70 years to give people the tools they need to sustain themselves and increase their livelihoods. Heifer supplies communities with livestock and education that lift those communities out of poverty.
Humanitas Global - Humanitas Global is a partnership of global citizens committed to driving health, economic, and social progress in underserved communities. They specialize in designing development initiatives that include all facets of a community and all its members, gaining support from citizens and governments alike.
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - IATP is a research and advocacy organization promoting alternative economic systems that value environmental sustainability, human rights and health, democratic institutions, and family farmers. IATP is critical of the impact trade agreements have on farmers, consumers, and the environment, and works to strengthen local economies through addressing a range of issues.
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics - The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, they help people overcome poverty, hunger, and degraded environments, through improved agricultural practices.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements - Founded in 1972, IFOAM is the only international umbrella organization for the organic movement. IFOAM unites a diversity of stakeholders, with around 800 affiliates in more than 100 countries, to encourage the mainstream uptake of organic agriculture.
The International Food Policy Research Institute - IFPRI, established in 1975, provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. The Institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD finances agricultural development projects, primarily for food production in the developing countries.
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture - IITA seeks to increase agricultural production in a sustainable way to help improve the nutritional status and well-being of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
International Soil Reference and Information Center - The International Soil Reference Information Center is a science-based foundation mandated to serve the international community with information about the world’s soils. The Center shares its data supply with full, open access, and conducts applied research projects concerning climate change mitigation, land degradation, food security and efficient water use, while also focusing on education and training.
International Water Management Institute - The International Water Management Institute is a scientific research institute working in developing countries to promote sustainable water use and land resource management. Using research, they come up with evidence-based solutions that will lead to greater food security, increased livelihoods, and healthier environments. They are based in Sri Lanka, and work across Asia and Africa.
Kitchen Gardeners International - Kitchen Gardeners International is a nonprofit community of more than 30,000 individuals growing their own food and helping others to do the same. Their aim is for people to achieve greater food self-reliance by teaching about kitchen gardening, home-cooking, and sustainable local food systems.
The James Beard Foundation - JBF is a nonprofit organization based in New York City. The Foundation’s mission is to preserve, nurture, and celebrate the diverse culinary heritage and future in the United States. The Foundation offers a variety of events and programs intended to educate, inspire, and entertain, in addition to promoting a fuller understanding of culinary culture.
La Via Campesina - La Via Campesina is an international peasants’ movement that currently represents 200 million farmers from 164 local and national organizations in 73 countries. As a grassroots organization headquartered in New York City, La Via Campesina strives to unite peasants, the landless, female farmers, and rural youth to defend small-scale sustainable agriculture on a global scale.
Landesa Rural Development Institute - LRDI is an organization that works to help secure land for the world’s poorest people. The organization partners with local governments in developing countries to help create laws, policies, and programs to foster social justice, economic growth, and opportunities for the communities. They often focus on creating and enforcing land rights for women.
The Land Institute - The Land Institute believes in growing food in partnership with nature. The Institute works to advance perennial grain crops that protect and build soil, and conducts research on food production methods that sustain the land.
Millennium Institute - Millennium Institute is an independent nonprofit with the goal of promoting systems literacy and dynamic modeling tools in order to achieve sustainable development globally. MI works to achieve awareness through public education and strategic partnerships centered on interdependence and sustainability.
More and Better - Founded in 2003, More and Better is a network that facilitates collaboration among organizations working to end hunger and poverty in developing nations. More and Better is composed of NGOs, CSOs, national campaigns, and social movements, all working to eliminate hunger and poverty by lobbying for policies that support agriculture, food, and rural improvement in developing countries.
Network of Peasant Organizations and Producers in West Africa - Founded in 2000, ROPPA is a network representing millions of small farmers, fishermen, and producers in 13 West African countries. ROPPA's main priorities include capacity building, technical and economic assistance, advocacy, and lobbying for policies that favor family farmers, and the development of high-quality technical teams.
Oakland Institute - Oakland Institute is a leading nonprofit think tank covering various issues, including the environment, the food system, and smallholder crop production. They aim to increase awareness and debate on these issues, and produce research and policy recommendations to create real change.
The One Acre Fund - OAF is a micro-investment organization based in Africa, and is devoted to helping smallholder farmers become self-reliant by providing them with the resources they need to be successful. The One Acre Fund envisions a future where every farm family has the knowledge, materials, and support necessary to satisfy their basic needs.
Organic Research Center - Established in 1980, the Organic Research Center works primarily in the United Kingdom to help build and support sustainable land-use and food systems. The Center conducts research on sustainable agriculture methods and communicates that research through trainings, classes, policy papers and more.
Oxfam International and Oxfam America - Oxfam International’s GROW campaign aims to fight the injustice of the food system in which people go hungry, not because there is not enough food, but because the system is poorly and unfairly organized. They are working to stop climate change and land grabs, and to support smallholder farmers and challenge the private sector.
Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, they work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam develops long-term solutions to poverty and campaigns for social change.
The Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa - The Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa is an organization that produces research and consultancy reports, aiming to promote policy that favors pastoralism in the region. They are working to ensure pastoralists’ rights, and to equip them with the latest skills and ideas. They also work to empower women and change attitudes of women’s participation in the economy and public life.
Permaculture Voices - As one of the world's largest professional permaculture conferences, Permaculture Voices blends the practical techniques and tactics found in workshops with the entrepreneurial spirit and opportunity of a business conference. The conference has convened diverse groups of people in a variety of fields to share experiences, knowledge, connect, and create new ways of making a living through permaculture.
Pesticide Action Network - PAN International is a network of more than 600 NGOs, institutions, and individuals across more than 90 countries. Founded in 1982, the network aims to not only replace hazardous pesticides with ecological and socially just alternatives, but resist development and introduction of genetic engineering and empower grassroots campaigns against agrochemical and seed corporations.
Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security - RUAF Foundation is a global network of organizations that specialize in urban agriculture. They seek to contribute to the development of sustainable cities by raising awareness of, generating knowledge about, and facilitating the development of resilient and equitable urban food systems.
The Rodale Institute - The Rodale Institute, through research and networking, strives to create and share the best practices in organic farming. For the past 60 years, Rodale has managed a farm in rural Kutztown, PA where they conduct scientific studies and educate community members about the value of organic food.
The Savory Institute - The Savory Institute, named after founder Allan Savory, is a nonprofit working internationally to restore depleted grasslands. They use a technique called Holistic Management, a method of properly managed livestock that is proven to restore grasslands to their natural state. They have hubs in Africa, North and South America, and Turkey.
Slow Food International and Slow Food USA - Slow Food International was founded to counter fast food and fast life. This 100,000 member-strong association takes on biodiversity projects and food education, and connects young people through the Slow Food Youth Network. Slow Food works on three interconnected principles: good diet that is part of local culture; clean food production; and fair consumer prices.
Slow Food USA is part of the global Slow Food network of over 150,000 members in more than 150 countries. Their Slow Meat movement draws attention to animal confinement. Slow Meat has become an annual event that brings together ranchers, farmers, butchers, chefs, and eaters to share ideas on how we can produce meat that is good, clean, and fair for all.
Small Planet Institute- The Small Planet Institute supports grassroots democratic movements worldwide that address the causes of hunger and poverty. The Institute also manages the Small Planet Fund.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture - Stone Barns Center is a nonprofit organization that aims to create a food system that is healthy and sustainable. They operate an 80-acre farm, offer classes in cooking for children and adults, operate a seasonal farm market, and run two food venues—the Blue Hill Café and the Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Sustainable Food Trust -The Sustainable Food Trust is committed to facing challenges and exploring solutions for a food production system that causes the least possible harm to both humans and the environment. The Trust works to develop solutions to food system problems in the areas of leadership and collaboration, communications and citizen engagement, and research and policy.
Sustainable Harvest International - Sustainable Harvest International works with families in Central America to accomplish two goals simultaneously: overcoming poverty and preserving tropical rainforests. By providing long-term assistance and teaching families sustainable farming methods, they not only help lift communities out of poverty, but decrease deforestation at the same time. They currently have programs in Honduras, Belize, Panama, and Nicaragua.
Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods - operating in Haiti since 2006, SOIL aims to create economic opportunities and improve depleted agricultural land by providing composting toilets. These toilets provide not only ecological sanitation, but abundant compost, which is returned to Haiti’s depleted soils, boosting agricultural production.
Think.Eat.Save - Think.Eat.Save is a collaborative initiative of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other international organizations, working to reverse food loss and food waste by providing consumers, retailers, leaders, and the community with advice and ways to limit wasteful practices.
Think Food Group - Started by Chef Jose Andres, the Think Food Group, is committed to helping future generations of activists and innovators change the world through food. The Group includes the World Central Kitchen, which is currently using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies.
Union of Concerned Scientists - The Union of Concerned Scientists works to ensure that all people have clean air and energy, as well as safe and sufficient food. UCS combines technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO’s mandate is to improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity, raise the standard of living in rural populations, and contribute to global economic growth. FAO accomplishes these objectives by creating and sharing critical information about agriculture, food, and natural resources
U.N. World Food Program - WFP is an international anti-hunger organization within the U.N. that collects and distributes food assistance to populations in need. As the world’s largest organization working to combat hunger, WFP distributes food to over 90 million people annually, mainly delivering assistance to children, refugees, people in emergency situations and the rural poor.
WhyHunger - WhyHunger is a leader in the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food, and supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.
The Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network - WFEN is a global community dedicated to the development and marketing of products that conserve threatened wildlife while contributing to the economic vitality of rural communities. WFEN's mission is to protect wildlife in wild places by certifying enterprises that assure people and nature coexist and thrive.
Winrock International - Winrock International is a nonprofit that works worldwide to increase economics opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities. They are experts in agriculture, forestry, natural resource management, and clean water, and teach new ideas and technologies in these areas to the people they work with, improving their livelihoods and giving them a sustainable future.
World Agroforestry Centre - ICRAF is an international institute headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, that specializes in generating and using science-based knowledge about the diverse roles of trees in agricultural landscapes to advance the practice of agroforestry for the benefit of the poor and the environment.
World Wildlife Fund - WWF is a conservation organization, working in 100 countries and supported by 1.1 million members in the U.S. and almost five million globally. WWF is based on a foundation of science, and provides actionable steps for members on local to global scales. They support innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and the planet, from refining production and distribution, to combating waste and environmental impacts of food production.
Young Professionals for Agricultural Development - YPARD is an international movement by young professionals for young professionals for agricultural development. YPARD's mission is to serve as a global collective platform through which young professionals can realize their full potential and contribute proactively toward innovative agricultural development.
101 Organizations to Watch in 2014
101 Additional Reader Suggestions in 2014
Source: http://foodtank.com/news/2014/12/one-hundred-one-global-food-organizations-to-watch-in-twenty-fifteen
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